Although mosquitoes and flies belong to the same group, they are very different and so learning the Facts and Information About Mosquitoes is very important. Mosquitoes have a one pair of wings, long legs and long nose; which females use to extract blood. In contrast, flies don’t bite and the long-legged flies are often smaller than mosquitoes. Not only are mosquitoes annoying but they can also spread deadly diseases.
Most people are familiar with malaria, West Nile River and dengue but what they don’t know is that this is spread through mosquito bites. The body and wings of mosquitoes are covered with small scales. Once they become an adult they can be up to 9mm long.
Diet and Habits of Mosquitoes – further Facts and Information About Mosquitoes
By know you probably realize from the previous paragraph that it is the adult female that feeds on blood meals. This means that if a mosquito bites you, it is a female mosquito. There is definitely a reason for their being able to do bite. They need blood in order for their eggs to develop fully. This is a fact that some of our customers at Westchester County Pest Control already know.
However, what they may not know is that male and female mosquitoes feed on plant nectar. During their immature stages, they are in standing water. Depending on the species of mosquito, the larvae will feed on various things. Many of them eat organic flotsam and aquatic organisms.
Facts and Information About Mosquitoes
Since some are predatory, they will actually feed on other mosquitoes. It is the adult mosquitoes that are most active at dusk. However, they can also become very active after a storm. They are not usually active in sunlight since this can cause them to desiccate.
How Mosquitoes Reproduce
In order to find the female, the males use their feathery antennae. Once the mosquitoes have mated, the female will begin seeking a blood meal to help her eggs develop. They lay their eggs in water, which can include anything from pots with standing water or birdbaths with standing water.
The amount of eggs that they can lay will depend on the species. Some can lay up to 100 eggs at a time. They will eat until they molt into pupae. Adults come out from the pupae to the surface of the water and then its exoskeleton will harden.
Male and Female Mosquitoes
There are some differences that are certainly more obvious than others when it comes to the male and female mosquitoes. Here are some of the differences that you may notice:
Adult males are not able to extract blood meals, the female adult can and does. There are a couple species of mosquitoes where the female adult does not have the ability to get blood meals and therefore they feed on plant nectar and sugar.
The proboscis of the female is generally smooth but the male is bushy.
The hairs on the mosquitoes antenna enables them to hear better. The male’s antennae are feathery and large. However, the female’s is smoother and not as feathery.
Usually, the male mosquito is smaller in size to the female in the same species. They are also known die sooner than the females.
Signs of an Infestation
Unfortunately, the main way of knowing that you have a mosquito infestation is by the amount of times you are being bitten by them. They females buzz slightly and they are the ones that bite. Those who are bitten have different reactions to the bite.
In most instances, the bite will just itch but some people experience swelling and inflammation. You can visually recognize the immature mosquitoes swimming on the surface of standing water.
Since certain species of mosquitoes spread deadly diseases, it is important to have the problem investigated when you suspect an infestation of them. However, you can rest assure that the ones that are deadly are usually in more undeveloped countries.